FROM HEELS TO SPURS

These are delicious and easy! My inner Norwegian says Hip Hip Hurrah every time I make them. (Yes, Norwegians actually say that. At least they used to :) Try it for dinner. I think you’ll thank me. If you don’t, let me know. On second thought, if you like them, please tell me too! 1 can wild Alaskan canned salmon …

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My first attempt at pesto, when in my twenties, was in its purest form – with a mortar and pestle. I still enjoy making it that way. While smashing the basil and garlic, I daydream of seafarers in the Mediterranean who grew basil on their sailing ships, or an Italian mother in the mountains of Italy preparing it for her family …

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This is one of the most amazing soups I’ve ever eaten. Try it, and then thank my friend Sandy Scott. The chili powder and corn amounts are not a misprint. You just have to trust me. I’d had it at my friend, Sandy’s house and it’s the first thing her teenage grandkids ask for when they come to visit. It’s …

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This is such a fabulous recipe from Tyler Florence of the Food Network. It’s also a lot of fun to make with friends. I was genuinely surprised at the complexity of flavors. I highly recommend trying this. Ingredients For the Braciole: 1 1/2 cups panko bread crumbs Extra-virgin olive oil 2 anchovy fillets, minced 4 cloves garlic, minced 1 cup buffalo mozzarella bocconcini balls, …

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I like to think when Catherine DeMedici, Queen of France in 1533, was served a meal in which her beloved spinach was barely visible – peeking out from multiple layers of bread or drowning in a sea of cheese – she sent the cook straight to the guillotine. She loved spinach so much she insisted it be served at every …

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Cowboys have been my greatest teachers. The best lessons do not just happen however. I had to become teachable. I was an educated, environmentally aware, city snob. Seriously. I sometimes don’t think we see ourselves. If we think we know something, we can be the most arrogant, obnoxious fools. It took me a while to get it, but when I …

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Roasted Parsnips. Who knew? The first bite out of the oven made my heart jump. One of the most delightfully fresh flavors ever. I’m not exaggerating one bit. The medley of cumin, lemon and olive oil roasted into these fall root vegetables make them a year round must for me. Plus, in Roman times they were considered an aphrodisiac. I …

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I’m almost embarrassed to post this here. It’s just too easy – a no brainer. The best part is the result – a rich, creamy, gluten-free dessert everyone will love. Here are the ingredients: 1 can coconut milk (NOT lite) 2 packages Starbucks Salted Caramel Hot Cocoa That’s it. No joke. It wouldn’t hurt to add some freshly whipped cream. …

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I hate chopping onions. As a city girl obsessed with cooking, I secured a Cuisinart the moment I learned. I never liked the way it chopped onions however. It mutilated them, creating something closer to onion purée. Years later, I purchased a salsa chopper to chop onions and still use it occasionally. Later a cowboy taught me this trick, which …

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All beef cuts are not the same. When you buy your beef from a local farmer, a butcher will cut it up differently than when you buy it at the grocery store. There are many reasons for this, and the primary one is beef sold in mass quantities to a grocery store is used differently. Much of the waste is used for …

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“I come bearing an olive branch in one hand, and the freedom fighter’s gun in the other. Do not let the olive branch fall from my hand.” -Yasser Arafat Olives are worthy of headlining at any table. They invoke dramatic imagery of ancient cultures and rituals. In the community of food, they are the elders, the wise ones. Olives have not …

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The cookie jar was empty with no time to run to the store so I gathered up what was on hand. I found bananas, bacon, chocolate, oatmeal, almonds and anchovies. Anchovies were voted off the island first. I almost created a chocolate, banana, and bacon treat but it was a little too out of the box for a sleep deprived crew. These …

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When I hear the word Savory, I think of an important mentor and friend, Allan Savory, who founded Holistic Management. Working with him changed my life on many levels, including how I understand the natural world. I will post more about this in the future. In culinary terms it can refer to the herb savory, delicious on green beans straight …

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This is a classic ‘from heels to spurs’ dish. It crosses cultural, nutritional and culinary boundaries, meeting in a perfectly wholesome and flavorful meal, even if not as pretty as some. For years, I worked with polarized groups in conflict over land issues, each side often standing for important values that sustain us. One of the most polarized of these …

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I am a midwife this month. Baby calves arrive day and night, leaving little time to stop and eat thoughtfully. It’s common to walk in the door, shake off your boots, and head to the couch for a nap. But a snack to recharge is in order first. Cookies and milk fit the bill perfectly. There is something universally …

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I’m ashamed to admit I abandoned tapioca when I was ten because it reminded me of baby food, and the little things were creepy. I imagined bug eyes popping inside my mouth. But this unfair assessment changed recently when visiting a close friend and her father in his NY art studio. They have an unspoken father-daughter agreement – she makes …

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This dish shocked me. I’m preparing to go back to Idaho to help calve out the cows, and want to use up food lying around the kitchen before I leave. Random ingredients that whisper to me…please do not let me live a purposeless life…it gets me every time. Sometimes I’m creative and make stuff up, other days I skim through cookbooks …

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I’m sure we’ve all heard eggshells are good for the compost pile, but what if you don’t have one? Here’s another oldie but goodie I learned from the old-timers. Eggshells are 93% calcium, 1% nitrogen. 1/2% phosphoric acid, and other trace minerals. This makes them a perfect fertilizer for your lawn or garden. If you dry them out in a …

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This is cattle drive food. And one of the easiest things to make ever. Just cream the butter and sugar, mix the rest of it together, pour it in the pan and bake. When the bananas are perfectly over-ripe, these are addictive. Such a homely looking dessert, but just wait. I bet you will fight to restrain yourself. Unless you use bananas …

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This was my signature dish back in the late seventies and early eighties – but don’t let that stop you from reading further. These are not the sweet Thai sesame noodles we’ve come to crave on dateless Saturday nights over the last three decades. There is no peanut butter or sweetness to this dish. If you like Thai sesame …

Norwegian eplekake is my favorite comfort food. It’s the cake my mom made when my friends came over, or when her good friends came by for a visit. The kind of friends you want to sit all afternoon and talk to over a cup of coffee, not the kind you need to impress. I imagine it’s because eplekake was the …

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Vanilla Sauce is one those tried and true dessert staples in Scandinavia, and conjures up so many childhood memories. They pour it on every dessert from chocolate pudding and fresh summer berries, to bread pudding and eplekake (traditional Norwegian apple cake). I can’t think of anything that beats the taste of fresh summer raspberries with vanilla sauce. It’s so good …

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I envision a nicely set table, crystal water pitcher, candlelight, salt wells, and an after dinner cognac. The ritual of dining adding to the magic of an evening with friends. Spending hours perusing cookbooks seeking perfect platemates. I roast asparagus with a hint of lemon blanketed in parmesan, coupled with grilled salmon crusted in pesto. Then I serve a creme …

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I am a city girl. Well, kind of. I grew up in New York City, the daughter of diplomats to Norway, even though I spent much of my time in the Norwegian countryside. My mom served meat and potatoes daily, and I left for college vowing potatoes would never again touch my lips. I didn’t keep that promise – but …

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This is Vivien or Tracy Ellwein’s recipe. I’ve always enjoyed making different types of cookies and deserts for people. However, I humbly admit, cowboys and kids really love the Ellwein recipe – and they seem to be sturdy enough to make it through a cattle drive in the pocket of a Carhart. I try to keep these in stock …